I recently told someone that without Promise Corps College & Career Ambassadors someone would’ve died. Someone would’ve actually died. Lost their life. We’re not just talking about failing math class. Dropping out of college. Not securing a sustainable career. I’m talking about death. Never, ever seeing someone again. I’m not exaggerating. I’m not being “extra” (as the kids say these days). I won’t assume how you’d feel but personally, knowing we’ve saved a life (at least one) in the short time we’ve been implementing the Promise Corps program makes me feel as if we’re doing SOMETHING right. If at bare minimum one of the 25 College & Career Ambassadors was in the right place at the right time – we’re lucky they were there.

My name is Bethany, I’m currently the Program Director for Philadelphia’s Promise Corps program. I’ve had the awesome opportunity of managing the Promise Corps program implementation since only a few days earlier than the first-ever College & Career Ambassadors started in 2015. It’s fitting that I write our first blog post even though I’m certain that my stories, my perspective and likely my humor – is certainly not as insightful or interesting as our College & Career Ambassadors themselves. They have the opportunity to tell their stories and jokes as well and we’re hopeful that you’ll be able to experience them through this blog!

My time managing this program has been an interesting paradox. We’ve been in operation for 18 months and it feels as if I’ve blinked and we’ve gotten ourselves here. Meanwhile, every day feels like a full school semester long and weeks feel like entire years. The responsibility we’ve taken on to support students in planning for their post-secondary life deserves as much effort and attention as we can possibly provide. This is both equally exhausting and energizing. Can you relate?

Check back often to follow us in our journey! In the meantime click the “get involved” tab above and feel free to reach out to me directly to learn more about Promise Corps!

Thank you for stopping by!

– Bethany Housman, Promise Corps Director